Welcome to the astrology mood board series where I explore all 36 combinations of ascendant and midheaven signs in effort to diversify the way we look at each sign. Aka, this is your cheatsheet towards building a cosmically-influenced aesthetic that’s not giving basic bitch energy.

AN OPTIMISTIC FUTURE

When I saw Charles Schridde’s “Home’s of the Future” ad collection, I was captivated. A beautiful example of the mid-century’s bright and optimistic look at technology, everyday life and the future, this ad campaign was commissioned by Motorola (yes, that one) to promote their new line of electronics. Hi-fi stereos, black and white televisions, and media consoles with built in speakers- these were the Roku TV’s and Bluetooth-enabled refrigerators of their day.

Yet, these beautiful illustrations did more than just show new products in American homes. The domestic scenes dared to challenge what we know a home to be. Capitalizing on the indoors-out design trend of the late Mid-Century Modern (MCM) period, these Future Homes juxtaposed practical interiors with stunning oceanside landscapes, homes floating over huge lakes and even swimming pools sharing walls with family rooms.

The play between everyday scenes and unexpected surrealism really screamed CAPRICORN-PISCES to me. Being a sextile Midheaven placement, or what I call Bestie Energy, concrete Capricorn is coaxed into having a little more fun by fluid Pisces. They engage in some silly goose energy if you will.

Once again I was reminded of the MCM period, not only due to these ads but also because design from this era favored flat imagery and a joyful, bold approach to type and illustration. Simple shapes meeting bright color palette once again gives that Capricorn-Pisces feel.

Further more, the ad campaign featuring Schridde’s artwork ran from 1961-1963. During this time both the ruling planets of Capricorn and Pisces, Saturn and Jupiter respectively, were traveling through their home signs, further cementing the astrobranding of this ad campaign.

How to Use this Moodboard

FONTS

For this collaboration I chose Anton and Didot. Both present in the MCM-age, Anton gave the bolder feeling of Cap but had a little roundness to it, meeting the softer side of Pisces. Paired with Didot, a serif font that has a lot of versatility, you can push and pull these fonts into any direction. Especially since Didot can go from being polished and friendly in its rawest form or easily converted into something light and playful when arched or given an uneven baseline.

COLORS

Look for a palette of bright, but still naturally found colors. These signs are Bestie Energy sextiles, making complementary colors preferred. Orange and blue making opposites seemed to be the obvious choice, but the bright almost chartreuse mustard grounded with a warm cream help further stabilize and cheer up with color palette.

GRAPHICS

Root strongly into natural elements, particularly water. Add a little bit of that Piscean fluidity by including something surreal like a card game taking place on an impossible table. Swans swimming inside a bathtub. A luxury car sitting undisturbed in a field of ferns as if it’s a sleeping jungle cat. Rooting usual comforts in unusual surroundings plays on the sturdy reliability of Capricorn and Pisces dreamy nature.

ARCHETYPES

Pull on Everyman’s approachability mixed with a hint of the Jester. A play on words, an unexpected juxtaposition. Just enough to keep folks on their toes but still feel approachable and friendly.